J Agric Med Community Health.  2013 Jun;38(2):71-84.

Factors Affecting Suicidal Ideation in Elderly Attending Community Senior Centers

• Shin JU
• Baek S

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
As suicide among the elderly population has been a critical issue in Korea, this study aimed to evaluate correlations of suicidal ideation with protective and risk factors among elderly who reside in a rural community.
METHODS
A total of 157 elders from Gyeongju city, who had attended senior centers in, were enrolled to answer questionnaires including the Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-Korea and the Scale for Suicidal Ideation. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0K for Windows, and included t-test, Pearson correlation, and a three-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses.
RESULTS
Using the hierarchical regression analyses for predicting the elderly's suicidal ideation, male gender and social group variables were entered as predictors in the first step(adjusted R2=0.107, P<0.05). Pain, ADLs, family support variables were not entered in the second step. Depression variable was the only predictor in the third step(adjusted R2=0.384, P<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Although this study confirmed the impact of depression on the suicidal ideation, elderly with risk factors including male gender and social isolation should receive a special attention from community health care professionals.

Keyword

Elderly; Pain; Family support; Depression; Suicidal ideation

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Community Health Services
Depression
Humans
Korea
Male
Risk Factors
Social Isolation
Suicidal Ideation
Suicide
Surveys and Questionnaires